As lawmakers in Columbus work to produce a final state budget for the next biennium, President Roderick J. McDavis reiterated Thursday that it is incumbent on all members of the Ohio University community to continue to conserve resources and manage funds wisely.

In a memo, McDavis noted that some developments out of Columbus indicate that the State Share of Instruction (SSI) appropriations could be reduced in Fiscal Year 2010 and Fiscal Year 2011. Such reductions, he added, would affect the university's fiscal 2010 budget, which was approved last week by the Ohio University Board of Trustees.

"But it is important to note that we have done much good work to strengthen our ability to respond to such reductions, including the enrollment gains we have made through your commitment to student recruitment and retention," McDavis wrote in the memo. "And, our shared focus on efficiency initiatives will further bolster the university's financial health."

McDavis also noted that a hiring freeze implemented last year would continue and that nonessential travel has been halted.